Magazine Advertising

Definition: Print ads that run in local or national magazines

When it comes to magazine advertising, most people think of the
large, glossy, national publications full of big brand advertisers.
And it may seem like your own business doesn't belong alongside the
"big guys," especially if you don't sell your product outside a
one-hundred-mile radius--or even outside of your own state. But
that's just not the case.

In fact, it's quite possible the next time you open one of those
national magazines to see an ad for a business that's right in your
own town that just has that one location. That's because, like a
lot of other forms of advertising, many national magazines have
local sections aimed at smaller businesses. Of course, these local
sections are a bit larger than what you may be used to, covering
such areas as the "Northeast" or the "Southwest" parts of the
United States. So while you'll be reaching people way outside your
neighborhood, you'll also attract local business (and may just wow
the locals who see your ad on those pages).

Who should advertise in the local sections of the national
magazines? Although it doesn't seem so at first blush, these ads
are really good for small, "niche-y" stores that carry very
specialized products, like hobby items. People will travel great
distances to find a new supplier or expert or specialist for their
hobby, and they'll spread the word of your existence to others with
similar interests. These ads are also wonderful if you have
locations in more than one area of any state or in more than one
state. You can probably cover most or even all of them with just
one ad if they all fall into one of those wide geographical areas
that are sold as "local." Check the first few pages of any magazine
to find contact information for the advertising department, where
you can ask for a media kit and get information on rates and
deadlines. And be sure to ask for a map that shows you what each
local territory includes.

Of course, advertising in magazines with national distribution
is going to be expensive even if you're only advertising in the
local sections, and it's not be the way to go for most small or
midsized businesses. You don't really need to cast such a large
net--what you really need is to choose publications that are
closely associated with your target market.

One option is to go really local with free magazines that you'd
find in grocery stores or pharmacies. The focus of these types of
publications is on home sales, cars, boats and other topics--you've
probably picked up one yourself. Your business doesn't have to tie
directly into the topics of any one of the magazines, as long as
the readers of those magazines would also be interested in your
product or service. Remember, it's the audience that counts, and
you can find that audience in any number of places. The contact
information for advertising in these publications will also be
located within the first few pages. One thing to be aware of is
that these types of free publications are published on different
schedules, sometimes just a few times a year. And like most
magazines, your deadline will be way ahead of publication, so don't
wait until the last minute to call to place an ad.

One advantage of magazines, especially monthlies, is that they
have a much longer shelf life than newspapers; they are often
browsed through for months after publication. So your ad might have
an audience for up to six months after its initial insertion.
Moreover, readers spend more time per sitting with a magazine than
a newspaper, so there's more chance they will run across your
ad.

No matter which type of publication you're buying space in, be
sure to ask the following questions before you purchase any ad
space:

What's the magazine's circulation?

What are the demographics of the readers?

How often is the magazine published?

How is it distributed?

What are the special sections or themes planned for the
year?

Also note that you have the opportunity with all magazines to
save money on each ad by agreeing to run an ad in more than one
issue. In fact, before you buy space in any magazine, it's a good
idea to see which businesses that are targeting the same audience
as you advertise in each magazine on a consistent basis. Remember,
if the ads weren't working, they wouldn't be there issue after
issue.

You can find publications that are appropriate for your
advertising needs by looking through references such as the
directories put out by the Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS). The SRDS
directories list all the relevant information about consumer and
trade publications, including a short description of each
publication, its editorial content, who the publication goes out
to, and breakdown of circulation figures. Using this information,
you can compile a list of publications suitable for your
advertising.

For more in-depth information, contact an ad representative at
each publication you've chosen and request a media kit. These
contain sample copies of the publication, detailed information
about the editorial content, a breakdown of readers' demographics,
the publication's ad rates, and an audited circulation statement
from the publisher.

There are two primary audits: the Audit Bureau of Circulation
(ABC), and the Business Publications Audit (BPA). Audited
circulations are sworn statements by the publisher, verified by an
outside source, that the publication is distributed to the number
of people claimed in the circulation figures.

With this information in hand, you can judge the
cost-effectiveness of advertising in a publication by determining
the relationship between its circulation and the ad rates. This
ratio is your CPM, or cost per thousand. For example, if the
circulation is 30,000 and the rate for a full-page ad is $600,
divide $600 by 30. You'd see that advertising in this publication
would cost $20 to reach each thousand readers.

As well as finding out each publication's CPM, inquire about
what kind of deals you can work out with the ad rep from each
publication. For example, you can sometimes negotiate for special
positioning in the publication; inside the front cover, on the back
cover, or within the first few pages of the book are prime
locations for ads. Publications will often charge an additional 10
to 20 percent of the ad's cost for special positioning, but if
you're a good negotiator, you can sometimes get it for no
additional charge. Always ask for your ad to be placed in the first
third of the publication (where readers are apt to read more
closely) on a right-hand page, which is not considered special
positioning.

You can also negotiate with the ad rep on a frequency discount.
If you run your ad three times, six times or 12 times instead of
just once, you'll get a reduced rate for each insertion.
Publications have standard frequency discounts by the SRDS
directory or on the rate card the ad rep gives you, but often the
rep can give you an even better deal than the standard frequency
discounts if you run your ad on a regular schedule and if the rep
wants your business.

Most magazines also offer to place ads on their website,
sometimes at a very reasonable rate--even for free--if you're
advertising in their hard copy issues. If you can swing it and
you're interested in selling worldwide or reaching a wider audience
in your own hometown, this is a great idea. Be sure to put your web
address, or URL, on every print ad, no matter where it runs, and
put a link on your online ad that takes people directly to your own
site.

No matter what magazine you choose to advertise in, your message
will need to be strong and eye-catching. You only have a few
seconds to grab the readers' attention and pull them in to read the
rest of the ad. A bold graphic and an interesting headline will
help you make a connection with readers right off the bat. The
graphic and the headline must come together to pinpoint a problem
and offer a solution to the reader.